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santo

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had a calf the other day, noticed something wrong with face; its jowel looks huge, maybe even dislocated. Couldn't get the calf or mom up. :help: Any ideas what caused it or what if anything needs to be done
 
By 'jowel' do you mean nose, tongue, chin, and lower face? If so, it sounds like Mom had a hard time delivering the calf and his face swelled in response to the pressure of prolonged delivery. That could also be the reason that Mom is not wanting to get up - a long hard delivery places pressure on her pelvic nerves, and they help to control movement in her back legs. Make sure the baby has received colostrum, and is receiving adequate milk - a swollen face usually means a swollen tongue and he will not be able to effectively nurse until the swelling has gone down in a day or so. As far as Mom goes, it depends on your experience level. If this is your first rodeo, I would suggest you call the vet. If you're not willing to/can't do that, then make sure you roll her several times a day to prevent pressure sores/further damage due to her sheer weight and being in one position. Hip lifts on a tractor could also help her to stand and recover. Anti-inflammatories could also help, but you would need to talk to your vet to get those.
 

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